Religions of the World Jesus/Mohammed

Two thousand years have come and gone, but still they remain the unfinished story that refuses to go away. Jesus of Nazareth, a Jew from rural first-century Galilee, and Mohammed from Mecca are without doubt the most famous and most influential human beings who ever walked the face of the earth. Their influence may at present be declining in a few countries of Western Europe and parts of North America, as has from time to time transpired elsewhere.But the global fact is that the adherents of Jesus and Mohammed are more widespread and more numerous, and make up a greater part of the world's population, than at any time in history. Two billion people identify themselves as Christians; well over a billion Muslims revere Jesus as a prophet of God (Freedman 2001). Unnumbered others identify themselves as know and respect his memory as a wise and holy man. This work begins with tracing the lives of Jesus and Mohammed historically. Then it deals with different aspects of the practice and th e teaching of Jesus and Mohammed. How their messages are being carried out in the world today will be considered in the conclusion.The personality of Mohammed remains obscure in spite of his sayings and the many legends about him. There have been almost as many theories about the Prophet as there are biographers. According to tradition, he was born in A.D. 570, about five years after the death of Justinian, into a cadet branch of one of the leading families of Mecca. His father died before Mohammed was born, and his mother died when he was still a small child. First his grandfather, then an uncle, who was in the caravan trade, reared him.As a youth in the busy center of Mecca he probably learned to read and write enough to keep commercial accounts; he also heard Jewish and Christian teachers and early became interested in their religious ideas. Mohammed must have suffered, in these early years, from hardships, and he evidently became aware of the misery of many of his fellowmen. The se early experiences were later to be the basis of his fervent denunciations of social injustice. At the age of twenty-five, he married a wealthy widow and probably went on some long caravan trips, at least to Syria.This gave him further contacts with Jewish, Christian, and Persian religious teachers. At the age of forty, after spending much time in fasting and solitary meditation, he heard a voice calling him to proclaim the uniqueness and power of Allah. Mohammed seemingly did not, at first, conceive of himself as the conscious preacher of a new religion. It was only the opposition from those about him at Mecca that drove him on to set up a new religious community with distinctive doctrines and institutions. In 632 Mohammed died, the last of all the founders of great world religions.Little is known of the early life of Jesus Christ. Born a few years before the year 1 A. D. in Bethlehem of Judaea, he lived in Nazareth, a city of Galilee, until he was about thirty years of age. We h ave no reason to doubt the tradition that after the death of Joseph, the head of the family, Jesus became the main support of Mary and the younger children. He worked at his trade, that of a carpenter, and lived the life which would be expected of a religiously-minded young Hebrew.At about the age of thirty Jesus suddenly appeared at the Jordan, where John, a cousin of his, was performing the rite of baptism on those who came professing a desire to amend their ways and live better lives. Jesus also came and, against the scruples of John, who saw that Jesus was in different case from the others, was baptized. It marked a turning-point, for with the outward ritual act came an inner spiritual experience of profound significance for Jesus. A voice assured him that he was in a unique sense his Father's â€Å"beloved Son,† in whom he was â€Å"well pleased† (Borg 1997). It seems to have been the consummation of his thought and prayer and eager yearning for many years.He had received his revelation; he would proclaim God as a Father and men as his sons. He was filled with a sense of mission, of having a work to do and a message to deliver, which to the end of his life did not leave him for a moment. He went from place to place in Palestine preaching in the synagogues and out-of-door places wherever the people congregated, and talking to individuals and to groups as they came to him with their questions and problems. He began to gather about him a little company of disciples, which soon grew to twelve and which accompanied him on all his journeys.He spent much time in giving them instruction and on several occasions sent them out to heal and to preach. Jesus came to establish a kingdom, and this was the burden of his message. But he never forgot that the form of the Kingdom and many things connected with its coming were of lesser significance than the inner meaning and the principles on which it was based. The first of these was man's relationship with G od.Jesus was not only a teacher; he was a worker of miracles. The Gospels tell us that he cured the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, fed the hungry, stilled the storm, and even raised the dead. Much was made of these wonders by former generations of Christians, who used them as proofs of the divine character of the One who performed them. Such use of these incidents does not produce the effect it once did and is being discarded.A closer study of the attitude of Jesus toward his own miraculous power clearly indicates that he minimized its significance. He would have men secure a better perspective and realize that moral power was on a higher level than the ability to work marvels. With this in view it scarcely seems congruous to use the miracles in a way which could scarcely be acceptable to Jesus himself. But of all the impressions Jesus made the strongest was that he was in touch with God his Father and that this was the explanation of all the wonderful things about him.Jesus, h owever, was not only winning followers and bringing them close to God; he had come into collision with the religious authorities of his people, and in the end lost his life at their hands. They were formalists and as such had not averted the danger of losing sight of the vital principles of their religion. Jesus was an innovator, and felt free to act in accordance with the inner spirit of the old precepts even when by doing so he ran counter to the letter of the law.When Jesus appeared in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, He was seized and, after having had a preliminary hearing before the Jewish high priest and Sanhedrin, was taken before Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator, and was condemned to death. He was crucified, together with two criminals, and died at the end of six hours' agony on the cross. His body was taken down by friends in the early evening and laid in a rock-hewn tomb. The hopes of his disciples were dashed to the ground, and undoubtedly the Jewish leaders a nd the Roman authorities thought they had rid themselves of an exceedingly troublesome creature (Allen 1998).But such was not to be, for a very remarkable thing happened the third day after. To the utter amazement of his disciples, who had not recovered from the paralyzing effect of their grief and disappointment, Jesus appeared to them so unmistakably that they were convinced that death had not been able to hold its victim and that Jesus was alive.Their new enthusiasm, the founding of the Christian Church on the assurance of the presence of the living Christ, the adoption of the first day of the week as a memorial of the day when Jesus reappeared alive -all these historic facts bear witness to the genuineness of the disciples' testimony that the same Jesus who had journeyed with them, who had died and had been laid away in the tomb, was raised from the dead, their living Master forevermore. They immediately went out to preach â€Å"the gospel of the resurrection,† and with t hat the history of the Christian Church was begun.Mohammed's teaching, from the beginning, shows strong Jewish and Christian influence. Mohammed learned the great stories of the Old Testament; especially was he impressed with the life of Abraham whom he later considered one of his own predecessors and who he claimed had founded the Ka' bah at Mecca. He, likewise, learned of the Christian Trinity whom he understood to be God the Father, Mary the Mother, and Jesus the Son.He was looking for common ground on which to found a faith for all monotheists. He had a profound respect for Jews and Christians, especially for the Jews, though when they refused to join him and when later they thwarted him, he attacked them fiercely. Mohammed took from Jewish, Christian, and also Persian teaching only what he wanted, and he combined all he borrowed in a set of ideas that always bore his own mark. In the Koran, for example, he uses the characters of the Bible as successful advocates in the past of the doctrines of Mohammed in the present. Mohammed called the Jews and the Christians the â€Å"People of the Book,† and he came to believe himself called to give his own people, the Arabs, a book.Soon after Mohammed's death in 632, a wave of conquest gathered in all of Arabia, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and part of Persia. In less than a century all of North Africa, Spain, Asia Minor, and Central Asia to the Indus River were swept by the conquering armies of Islam. These conquests were as orderly as they were speedy; little damage seems to have been done, and immediately after the Arab armies entered an area they organized it. The Arab annexation, at first, meant little more than a change of rulers.Life and social institutions went on as before with little interference and no forced conversions; the conquered peoples could even keep their own religion by paying a tax. The Arab colonies planted in each new territory became the centers from which Islamic religious ideas spread a nd in which, at the same time, a new culture developed. Not until the new peoples, like the Seljuks, who were outside the Graeco-Roman tradition, were converted to Mohammedanism did Islam become fanatical. Indeed, no such militant intolerance as characterized the Christian attack on paganism was normally shown by the Mohammedans until into the eleventh century.The reasons for these fantastic conquests were various. To his own people, especially to the desert tribes, Mohammed offered war and booty, and to those who lived in the Arab towns he offered the extension of commerce. Caravans travelled in the midst of the Muslim armies. For those who died, Islam promised a glowing paradise. One drop of blood shed in battle, even a single night spent under arms would count for more than two months of prayer or fasting.Christianity and Islam have, like every other religion, developed their own mythology. These mythologies are at its height in the beautiful imagery that centers around the festi vals of Christmas, Easter and Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha (â€Å"Eid† or â€Å"Id† means festival). Indeed, there is today a rediscovery of the value of myth in human life. Today Christianity and Islam provide a good framework for the religious life. Some people, possibly lots of people, would claim that if Jesus and Mohammed were wrong, they can no longer be relevant. That claim can probably be disputed on theological grounds (Freedman 2001).The remarkable ‘footprint' of Jesus and Mohammed in history has strangely contradictory implications for an encounter with them today. On the one hand, it means that a true and adequate understanding of the men remains a vital task, even as third millennium has dawned. Just as in the first century Jesus was embraced as Saviour of the world by Jews and Gentiles excluded from religious and political power, so today he is welcomed above all by ordinary, poor and marginalised people – in the west and the east, and especia lly in the South. Like Paul, they see him, God's gospel, as having the power to liberate them from sin, their personal sins, the socio-political, cultural and structural sins of their nations, cultures and churches and the unjust economic and technological structures of the so-called ‘global village'.At least in the western world, it remains true that we can understand neither Christian faith nor much of the world around us if we do not come to terms with Jesus of Nazareth and the two millennia of engagement with his heritage. The followers of Jesus and Mohammed live in every country of the globe. They read and speak of these people in a thousand tongues. For them, the world's creation and destiny hold together in their gods, the wholly human and visible icon of the wholly transcendent and invisible God. Jesus and Mohammed animate their cultures, creeds and aspirations.ReferencesAllen, Charlotte. (1998).The human Christ: the search for the historical Jesus. Oxford: Lion.Borg, Marcus J., ed. (1997). Jesus at 2000. Boulder: Westview Press.Freedman, David Noel. (2001). The Rivers of Paradise: Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad as Religious Founders. Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, MI.

Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and Honda

Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and Honda The automotive industry produces and sells motor vehicles, which are goods. It is one of the highest revenue generating industries in the world.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and Honda specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Approximately 80.1 million cars were produced in 2011. The major industry players are Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and Honda. (OICA, 2012) Company background Audi is an automobile manufacturer based in Germany; it manufactures a wide range of vehicles. Volkswagen AG as a subsidiary owns Audi as a brand. The four rings in the Audis symbol represent the 1932 amalgamation of the four brands that formed the Auto-union AG. The four brands were The Saxon brands of Audi and Horch from Zwickau, Wanderer from Chemnitz and DKW from Zschopau (Audi, 2012). Toyota Motor Corporation is the manufacturer of Toyota Land cruiser S.U.V. Toyota has its headquarters in Toyota city, Aichi, Japan. Toyota deals in the automotive, robotics and financial services industries. It is the largest automaker in the industry. Toyota was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda, and has grown on since the production of AA Sedan in 1936 to become the largest car manufacture in the world (Toyota, 2012). Product overview The sports utility vehicles are vehicles build on light truck chassis and are accompanied by a four-wheel drive for on and off road use.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Toyota land cruiser is a vehicle designed to meet off road needs and urban roads. It is also luxurious vehicles. This is evident as, it has a V8 engine, which enables it to have off-road capabilities. In addition, it is luxurious and can carry up to eight passengers. It has a $77,955 price tag (Toyota, 2012). Audi S.U.V A6 all road is a vehicle that is luxurious, and gives an off-road experienc e too, it is cheaper compared to the Toyota land cruiser S.U.V. Is offers more fuel economy as compared to the land cruiser as it has a $70,000 price tag (Audi, 2012) Strategic marketing Strategic marketing is the use of a company’s strategic plans to market its products. It entails the company to identifying areas where a firm has a sustainable competitive edge over the other firms in the market and it use them as their marketing strategy. (Procto, 2000) Macro environmental forces These environmental forces are outside the organization. They affect industries as wells as individual organizations. The organization has little or no control over these forces. They include the following among others: politics, economics, social cultural factors, technology, Environment and the legal frameworks (Pride Farrell 2012). Micro environmental forces Microenvironment is the organizational environment. It comprises of the internalities of the organization that is the forces the organizat ion has some control over. They include among others, employees, Trade unions, local community, suppliers and customers (Pride Farrell 2012). SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is the analysis of strengths, weaknesses opportunities and threats a firm is facing. It involves looking at factors that are both within as well as outside the firm.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and Honda specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strengths and weaknesses are factors that affect the organizations internal environment, while opportunities and threats affect the organizations external environment. An analysis of these factors is very important in formulating corporate strategic plan and the marketing and positioning plan for a product (Procto, 2000). Market segmentation Market segmentation is the subdividing of the market into distinct subsets of customers who are relatively homogeneous so that specific marketing mix strategies can be developed to secure each market (Pride Farrell 2012). Target markets Target markets are the markets in which a firm wants to sell its goods and services. The firm chooses the market segments it wants to operate in according to its abilities. This should be based on their current use, their potential for future growth, and competitors’ strengths (Procto, 2000). Positioning strategy Positioning is the process by which a company establishes an image of its products in the minds of the customer relative to the image of the competitors’ product offering. Positioning strategy are the strategies that the firm is using to position itself in the minds of their consumers (Procto, 2000).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Toyota S.U.V cruiser and Audi S.U.V A6 are positioned as premium class vehicles. They are sold to the upper end markets, where consumers want luxurious cars for off and on road use. Recommendations This is the section where the recommendations about the report recorded. In the recommendation section, the writer makes his recommendations based on the facts preset in the report. The recommendations give suggestion on possible solutions to what the report seeks to achieve (Bentley 2003). References Audi Worldwide Home. (n.d.). Audi of America Luxury Has Progressed . Retrieved from https://www.audi.com/en.html Bentley, T. J. (2003). Report writing in business: the effective communication of information (Repr. ed.). London: Elsevier. OICA. (n.d.). OICA . Retrieved from oica.net/ Pride, W. M., Ferrell, O. C. (2012). Marketing (2012 ed.). Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. Proctor, T. (2000). Strategic Marketing An Introduction.. New York: Routledge. Toyota Motor Corporation g lobal website. (n.d.). Toyota Motor Corporation global

Free Essays on The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers By Alexander Dumas Historical Fiction The protagonist of this book is d’Artagnon. A young Frenchman from Gascony. Who dreams of becoming a Musketeer. The antagonist of this book is the Cardinal, who wishes to expose the queen’s love affair with the Duke of Buckingham. d’Artagnon stands in the way of his plans. This book is about a young man d’Artagnon who comes to Paris to be a musketeer on his way he meets three musketeer’s Porthos, Athos and Aramis who serve the king. d’Artagnon falls in love with Constance de Bonacieux. The kings wife Anne has fallen in love with the duke of Buckingham to show how much she loves him she gives him a twelve stud diamond bracelet that her husband gave to her on her last birthday. Milady de Winter one of the Cardinal’s spies steals two studs off the bracelet, and gives them to the king. But at the same time the duke had two more put on and d’Artagnon rushes back to give them to the queen before a banquet in witch the king has ordered Anne to wear. Constance the queen’s seamstress knows all about the queen’s secrets, therefore the cardinal wants to improson her and get those secrets, and he does. Later Constance is sent to a convent were lady de Winter poisons her with wine before d’Artagnon reaches her . d’Artagnon later finds out that Athos, who was once a lord of France and was married to lady de Winter and he discovered that she was marked with the fleur de lit witch means she is a terrible villain, he has the right to sentence her to death he hangs her from a tree but she survives. They all swear revenge. She is sent to England to kill duke Buckingham. She is imprisoned by the duke but she manipulates the guard and convinces the guard to murder’s the duke of Buckingham. d’Artagnon, athos and Porthos and an executioner who branded her with the fleur de lit. they execute her and are not punished because they have the letter that the cardinal w... Free Essays on The Three Musketeers Free Essays on The Three Musketeers The Three Musketeers By Alexander Dumas Historical Fiction The protagonist of this book is d’Artagnon. A young Frenchman from Gascony. Who dreams of becoming a Musketeer. The antagonist of this book is the Cardinal, who wishes to expose the queen’s love affair with the Duke of Buckingham. d’Artagnon stands in the way of his plans. This book is about a young man d’Artagnon who comes to Paris to be a musketeer on his way he meets three musketeer’s Porthos, Athos and Aramis who serve the king. d’Artagnon falls in love with Constance de Bonacieux. The kings wife Anne has fallen in love with the duke of Buckingham to show how much she loves him she gives him a twelve stud diamond bracelet that her husband gave to her on her last birthday. Milady de Winter one of the Cardinal’s spies steals two studs off the bracelet, and gives them to the king. But at the same time the duke had two more put on and d’Artagnon rushes back to give them to the queen before a banquet in witch the king has ordered Anne to wear. Constance the queen’s seamstress knows all about the queen’s secrets, therefore the cardinal wants to improson her and get those secrets, and he does. Later Constance is sent to a convent were lady de Winter poisons her with wine before d’Artagnon reaches her . d’Artagnon later finds out that Athos, who was once a lord of France and was married to lady de Winter and he discovered that she was marked with the fleur de lit witch means she is a terrible villain, he has the right to sentence her to death he hangs her from a tree but she survives. They all swear revenge. She is sent to England to kill duke Buckingham. She is imprisoned by the duke but she manipulates the guard and convinces the guard to murder’s the duke of Buckingham. d’Artagnon, athos and Porthos and an executioner who branded her with the fleur de lit. they execute her and are not punished because they have the letter that the cardinal w... Free Essays on The Three Musketeers Alexandre Dumas’ novel â€Å"The Three Musketeers† remains extremely exciting and funny. This novel keeps the reader on the edge the entire time, wondering what will happen next. The novel follows four men that remain insupportable: D’Artagna, Athos, Porthos and Aramis in their heroic acts, D’Artagnan’s love interests and the continues scandals between the Queen, King and Duke of Buckingham. The end of this novel is the best part. It leaves the reader jaw dropped in amazement. The most important characters are the four best friends: D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis. It has become apparent that D’Artagnan is the central character of the novel, Dumas has portrayed the reader that not only is D’Artagnan still a brave, noble, intelligent and ambitious young man. But is also very crafty and romantic. He is driven by love, and tends to often find himself in love with more than one person at a time. This has been a steady flaw of D’Artagnans from the very beginning of the novel, to the very end. Throughout the novel D’Artagnan turns to Athos for guidance. Athos is the most important of the three musketeers. He is also a father figure to D’Artagnan. This may be because he is also the oldest of his comrades. However He is still young at heart and loves being a musketeer. This becomes more evident in the last half of the novel. Aramis on the other hand, is constantly announcing he is only temporarily in the muskete ers, and that any day now he will r! eturn to the church to pursue his true calling. By the end of the novel the reader can almost predict what he will say next. This makes Aramis a predictable character, however the reader can count of the level-minded advice of Aramis to call reason to a situation. Aramis has a mysterious mistress; her name is Madame de Chevreuse. He tries to keep her existence and identity hidden from his friends however by the end of the novel all four men know the truth. Por...

The Act of 1593 against the Puritans and the Act against the Recusants Essay

The Act of 1593 against the Puritans and the Act against the Recusants - Essay Example ceforth I will from time to time obey and perform her majesty's laws and statutes, in repairing to the church and hearing divine service, and do my uttermost endeavour to maintain and defend the same. (Gee & Hardy, 1896) The Church at that time, led by the Queen, forebad all that the Queen did not agree with and would ensure that all laws pertaining to the Church and the Parliament were enforced. Any signals from the citisenry at the time of Queen Elizabeth's reign that did not follow the orthodox Church of England at that time and chose to follow any puritan religious movements was dealt with by the Courts. Historically, the Puritans were members of a group of English Protestants that were looking to reform and possibly separate from the church establishment of the time. From the onset, the Puritans ranted to have the Church replace the popish rituals including the ornaments and rituals that were prevalent in the Church at that time such as vestments, musical organs and genuflection and move toward a more Presbyterian model, otherwise known as a Congregationalist model. As Puritans were commonly referred to during that period of history as Dissenters, it was common for those following the Puritan practice to be barred for any profession that required official religious conformity, which then endeavored new industries to be developed. The Puritan and Recusants Belief System Although both groups equally professed their disdain for the secularism that was found within the Church itself. The Puritans refused to accept the entire Church structure as it was currently showing. The Catholics who were then referred to as Recusants, did not wish to take any part of the church's services and would rather be punished than attend Elizabeth's church. Puritans did not directly challenge Elizabeth's claim to the throne but couldn't be accused of working for a foreign power. The Puritans The central belief system within the Puritanism movement is "God's supreme authority over human affairs, particularly in the church, and especially as expressed in the Bible." (Wikipedia, 2006) The Recusants The Recusants, as defined by Encarta, were " Roman Catholics in the 16th century who refused (Latin recusare, "to refuse") to attend religious services in the Church of England because of their allegiance to the pope. Because Recusants rejected the ecclesiastical supremacy of the Crown and constituted a minority who did not go to the state church, they were penalized with increasingly severe legislation. This culminated in fines of 20 per month. In times of danger from foreign invasion further disabilities were imposed. The issue came to a head with the papal bull of 1570, which absolved all subjects

Research for the Bernard Madoff Case Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

For the Bernard Madoff Case - Research Paper Example Finally, Madoff himself revealed the truth to his sons and they reported this case to the court. Bernard Madoff Investment Securities Scandal involves many ethical issues. Moreover, many stakeholders were also involved in this case. This paper briefly explains some facts, ethical issues and stakeholders involved in Bernard Madoff’s investment securities scandal case. â€Å"Madoff founded the Wall Street firm Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in 1960, and was its chairman until his arrest on December 11, 2008† (Bernie Madoff’s Investment Scandal Exposed, 2010). Madoff was able to command the respect of the investors because of his huge experiences in Wall Street in different positions. When he offered the customers huge return even on short term investments through his Ponzi scheme, nobody was in any sort of doubt about the fraudulent nature of the scheme. Investors thought that Madoff has got some magical power to multiply their investments because of his huge experiences in Wall Street. Vernon Silver (2009) has mentioned that the returns that Mr. Madoff’s firm provided were consistently good over the years (Silver, 2009). â€Å"Concerns about Madoff’s business surfaced as early as 1999, when financial analyst-whistleblower Harry Markopolos informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that he believed it was legally and mathematically impossible to achieve the gains Madoff claimed to deliver† (What Has Bernard Madoff Investment Securities Done to Investment Securities?, 2010). These concerns expressed by the financial experts forced Madoff to confess his guilt to his sons in December 2008 which they reported to the court. Even though Madoff revealed that he has started his fraudulent activities in the 1990’s, investigating agencies believe that he has started such activities as early as the eighties itself. â€Å"Madoff told the agents that it was his entire fault, and that he "paid investors with money that

Effects of Media on Fear of Crime, Perception and Reality Essay

Effects of Media on Fear of Crime, Perception and Reality - Essay Example The main part of fear of crime is the scope of emotions that is roused in people by the chance of oppression. While usual measures of concern about crime repeatedly prove between 35 percent and 55 percent of the residents of England show some type of apprehension about becoming a victim, surveys tell that a considerable number of individuals in fact worry for their personal wellbeing on a daily basis. Contrary to usual perception, this level of fear has reduced since 1990s according to British Crime Surveys from 40% to 27% in 2003 in the United Kingdom. As a result, one can differentiate between fear and broader apprehension. Nonetheless, it should come under notice that a number of individuals might be keener to disclose their uncertainties and vulnerabilities as compared to others. Hearing about happenings; identifying others who have been persecuted - these are thought to increase insights of the risk of oppression. This has been explained as a ‘crime multiplier’, or procedures functioning within the inhabited atmosphere that would reach the impacts of illegal happenings. â€Å"Such proof exists that hearing of friends’ or neighbours’ victimisation increases anxiety that indirect experiences of crime may play a stronger role in anxieties about victimisation than direct experience†. Nonetheless, there is an advisory note: several inhabitants of a locality merely know of offence indirectly by means of channels that may ‘inflate’, ‘deflate’, or distort the actual picture.... Nonetheless, it should come under notice that a number of individuals might be keener to disclose their uncertainties and vulnerabilities as compared to others. Hearing about happenings; identifying others who have been persecuted - these are thought to increase insights of the risk of oppression (Flatley et al, pp. 1-220, 2010). This has been explained as a ‘crime multiplier’, or procedures functioning within the inhabited atmosphere that would reach the impacts of illegal happenings. â€Å"Such proof exists that hearing of friends’ or neighbours’ victimisation increases anxiety that indirect experiences of crime may play a stronger role in anxieties about victimisation than direct experience† (McCluskey & Hooper, p. 173, 2001). Nonetheless, there is an advisory note: several inhabitants of a locality merely know of offence indirectly by means of channels that may ‘inflate’, ‘deflate’, or distort the actual picture.’ Public views of the threat of crime are as well shaped strongly by mass media reporting. People pick up from media as well as interpersonal contact spreading representations of the criminal happening - the perpetrators, injured parties, cause, and signs of significant, irrepressible, and sensational crimes. The concept of stimulus likeness may be significant: if the reader of a newspaper categorizes with the portrayed victim, or feels that their personal neighbourhood has similarity to the one explained, then the image of threat may be taken up, individualised and interpreted into personal security concerns. In addition, reports have indicated differences in perceptions of fear based on the type of newspapers read by locals in the United Kingdom (Simmons & Dodd, pp. 1-189, 2003). In a recent study, â€Å"subjects

Laura Ashley Holdings Plc Essay Example for Free

Laura Ashley Holdings Plc Essay 1) How have changes relating to management and organisational structural affected a global organisation of your choice, over the last 75 years. Relate your findings to growth, distribution, and various external influences and strategies. 2) Undertake a SWOT analysis and explain its relevance in relation to your company and/or its sector Word Count 1250. Harvard Style Referencing. Bibliography Required. Global organisation Laura Ashley Holdings Plc has suffered differing fortunes since Bernard and Laura Ashley founded it in the 1950s. It has been involved in the designing, manufacturing, distribution and selling of garments, accessories, perfume, gift items, fabric, wall coverings, bedding, lighting, and furniture. Famed for its floral prints, the chain was highly successful during the early and mid 1980s but things changed in the early 1990s when various management and structural problems as well as those relating to growth, distribution, and various external influences such as global recession surfaced Laura Ashley herself died in 1985. There is a notable difference in the organisation up to and after this year. Up to 1985, it was a simply structured, steadily expanding organisation operating in a non-complex environment (complexity arises when there are numerous complicated environmental influences [Johnson and Scholes, 1989]). In the months and years after, many changes took place. Laura Ashley went public in flotation, acquired other companies involved in areas such as knitwear and perfume, made heavier investments in manufacturing and information technology (IT), moved towards segmentation with Mother and Child shops, exclusively home furnishing shops and unit shops (franchise operations). The organisation moved gradually away from vertical integration (it had always manufactured and delivered all goods itself) The Guardian reported that Laura Ashley was withdrawing from manufacturing by the end of the year in 1998. In order to facilitate growth, there was a shift from the simple functional organisational structure to a more complex divisional structure (which was  re-organised with every change of leadership). The most notable chief executives of Laura Ashley who were in place whilst and after problems developed were Jim Maxmin (1991-1994) and Ann Iverson (1995-1997). Each of these people were responsible for major overhauls within the organisation. Vora (1998) states, Laura Ashley has undergone various restructuring strategies and umpteen management upheavals, all to no avail, and all of which have decimated shareholder value and abused the brand name. As highlighted above, the major problems of Laura Ashley began to manifest in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The first fall of profits were reported in the year to January 1989. It is important, then, to look at its success before this from its beginnings in the 1950s to 1985. One area to naturally consider is the key success factors of the organisation for this period i.e. what specifically can its success is attributed to. Key success factors are what an organisation must do well in order to be successful, be an effective competitor and satisfy stakeholder requirements (Thompson, 1997). Bearing this in mind, the key success factors of Laura Ashley up to 1985 are identified as high quality production, innovative designs, good brand management (the Laura Ashley name was and is strong), well placing of stores, creation of good atmospheres in stores, general design and creative competencies, staff training, creation of a vertically integrated structure and operation within a simplist ic organisational structure in general. Also, the Groups IT capabilities factored into the success as it was a source of competitive advantage e.g. they were an early adopter of electronic point of sale (Heath, 1996 as cited by Johnson and Scholes, 1999). These factors may also be interpreted as strategic excellence positions (SEPs), which can be described as the capabilities, which allow an organisation to produce better than average results in comparison with competitors (PUmpin, 1987). Thompson (1997) presents a particularly useful model that can be helpful in explaining the success of Laura Ashley up to 1985. The EVR congruence model, by Thompson, considers if an organisation is being managed effectively with regards to strategy. It represents the matching of an organisations resources (for Laura Ashley these would include plants, vehicles, IT systems  and locations) to the key success factors dictated by the environment (external factors such as opportunities and threats, stakeholders, competition etc). A determinant in matching these is the values of the organisation (again, in the case of Laura Ashley, these would include the lifestyle they promote/project, shop designs and atmospheres, product designs, the brand, staff training policy and the family culture). If the congruence (fit) between these three areas is great, then this indicates effective management of resources (Hamel and Prahalad [1993] comment that it is important for organisations to manage reso urces well in order to achieve objectives), strategy formulation and all-round success. It can be argued that the success of Laura Ashley up to 1985 can be attributed to greater EVR congruence. That is such things as the number of shops and plants, distribution systems, stakeholders, threats (including competition), products, level of vertical integration and so on fit together well in relation to the size, structure, culture and speed of growth of the organisation then. The key success factors are also indicative of this congruence. So that they can be developed to help ensure both present and future success, it is important key success factors are recognised and understood. One particular way Laura Ashley could do this is through a SWOT analysis. This reviews an organisations internal strengths and weaknesses and opportunities and threats in the external environment (Cole, 1996). This may be done for a particular moment in time or as an overview encompassing the past and present. As made clear, Laura Ashley has faced much change during its existence. Opportunities and threats come about as a result of constant change and the SWOT analysis can help to identify these and internal strengths and weaknesses relevant when dealing with change (Johnson and Scholes, 1989). This SWOT analysis can be used in relation to analysing the problems faced by Laura Ashley in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. They can be greatly attributed to the weaknesses and threats identified. For example, fluctuations in the economy had a knock-on effect on the sale of property and hence on the sale of household furnishings. Also, high borrowing, wastage and forced discounting meant that, despite sales increases, shops were making a loss. The reorganisations in 1988, 1991 and twice in 1995 had their effect too they were costly and highlighted inefficiency. Chandler (1977) states that structures are not adapted until pressure of inefficiency forces the change and that this change process is usually a painful one often carried out by a different chief executive each time. Upon and after his appointment in 1991, Jim Maxmin found that the organisation lacked a core identity, clear strategies, empowered staff, thorough market research, efficient logistics, and many probl ems in the US such as limited growth, poor management and delivery problems. He responded with his Simplify, Focus and Act programme. This included reorganisation, institution of a Global Operations Executive (GOE) and Global Collection Development (GCD) which aided globalisation and marketing, encouragement to empower staff, an alliance with Federal Express Business Logistics to improve delivery and distribution systems, sourcing half of the organisations manufacturing to  the Far East (rather than in-house in Britain) and management replacement in the US. Before leaving Laura Ashley in 1994, Jim Maxmin commented that throughout the entire organisation, people has embraced the principles of the Simplify, Focus and Act programme and set about sorting out the operational problems which have plagued Laura Ashley (Maxmin, 1993 as cited by Warnaby, 1994). Ann Iverson was appointed chief executive of Laura Ashley in 1995. She was to spearhead the rush into the US and revamp the product range (Teather, 1999). Her observations found various problems all of which can again be attributed to identified weaknesses. It was found that the product range was too broad, there was no unified look to match globalisation, the supply chain was inefficient and problems continued in the US. Ann Iversons response included strengthening the alliance with Federal Express Business Logistics, opening larger stores in the US and reviewing marketing and sales. These changes were considered to be good as Laura Ashley restored dividend payments in 1996 for the first time since 1989. Ann Iverson was dismissed in 1997, however, mainly due to continuing problems in the US and the organisations image (Keynotes, 1997). Each of the changes mentioned came about from the organisations particular strengths (as identified) at the time. For example, whilst such things as restructuring and shop closures were happening, the strong name of Laura Ashley and strong customer loyalty were greatly relied upon. Bowman and Asch (1987) comment that the strengths of an organisation are a if not the determinant in how it handles weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Opportunities open to the organisation in dealing with its various problems can be identified as the opportunities in the SWOT analysis. Opportunities change and differ over time. For example, the alliance with Federal Express Business Logistics resulted from available opportunities at the time. A possible opportunity in the early 1990s would have been a speedier move away from vertical integration for example. Laura Ashley became totally vertically integrated in the 1970s and continued  to be so though gradually moved away from this in the 1990s completely in 1998. Vertical integration can be backwards e.g. manufacturer purchasing/owning supplier and forwards e.g. manufacturer purchasing/owning retailer Laura Ashley was both backwardly and forwardly vertically integrated everything from the supplying of materials and manufacturing to distribution and retail. The main benefits of this throughout the organisations development included greater control, greater ability to differentiate, the opportunity to achieve economies of scale (higher margins), assurance of supply and greater synergy. Despite this, there were numerous disadvantages particularly that it was costly and greatly increased operational leverage as well as the need to keep up with technological change. This tied up capital having long-term affects. It meant that there was not full concentration of key strengths (design and retail) on which key success factors are dependent (Thompson, 1997). Furthermore, vertical integration was inflexible (cheaper manufacturers could not be sourced) and sensitivity to decreases in sales increased. It was the cost aspect that had the greatest impact particularly in the face of costly expansion (especially in the US). Warnaby (1994) comments that vertical integration was responsible for financial problems in the early 1990s. The costs of vertical integration had an impact on the organisations ability to successfully expand internationally. Perhaps with the exception of a distinctive product look and the adoption of a divisional structure, Laura Ashley did not expand internationally applying Treadgolds keys/strategies each was applied/introduced incrementally as problems arose to highlight the need e.g. it was not until 1995 when Ann Iverson felt the need for a unified product look. This is indicative that the organisation was not particularly capable of embarking on such ambitious international expansion as it did. This is highlighted by the numerous problems faced by the organisation e.g. poor marketing/marketing strategy, inefficient logistics and lack of direction and clear strategy. Additionally, the paternalistic management style was not suited to rapid expansion and this coupled with high finance demands from vertical integration, reorganisation and early acquisitions further indicate poor planning in terms of development Laura Ashley has faced so many problems throughout its existence. Problems owing to management, organisational structure, logistics and rapid international expansion continuously came and went. In 1998 bankruptcy looked imminent but an injection of ?44 million in equity capital by Malaysian businessman Dr Kay Peng Khoo (giving his MUI property company 47.5% share ownership whilst the Ashley family retained just 9% [Gibbs, 1999]). He installed Ng Kwan Cheong as chief executive who made changes including the disposal of the problematic North American franchise (retail operations were sold to a management buyout team for $1 at the end of July, 1999 [Gibbs, 1999]), targeting of younger markets and investment in e-commerce (Abdullah, 2000). However, all of these changes looked to have no major impact in the Groups success with sales steadily decreasing from 1998. Whether or not Laura Ashley manages to achieve the sort of success it enjoyed in the early 1980s under its new management remains to be seen as does its survival. Chief Executive Ng Kwan Cheong refrained from placing false hopes, commenting in March of 2000 We have a lot of things to do. All I can say is we are moving in the right direction and things are changing (Cheong, 2000 as cited by Abdullah, 2000). REFERENCES Texts  · Bowman, C. and Asch, C. (1987). Strategic Management. Macmillan Education.  · Chandler, A.D. (1997). The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution in American Business. Harvard University Press.  · Cole, G.A. (1996). Management Theory and Practice (5th Edition). Letts Educational.  · Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (1989). Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases. Prentice Hall.  · Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (1999). Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases (5th Edition). Prentice Hall.  · PUmpin, C. (1987). The Essence of Corporate Strategy. Gower.  · Thompson, J.L. (1997). Strategic Management: Awareness and Change. International Thomson Business Press. Journals and Publications  · Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C.K. (1993). Strategy as stretch and leverage. Harvard Business Review, 71, March-April, pp75-84.  · Keynotes (1997), Keynote Market Report Clothing Retailing, 1997 Reports, p23.  · Treadgold, A. (1991) Dixons and Laura Ashley: Different Routes to International Growth. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. Vol. 19(4), pp13-19.  · Warnaby, G. (1994). Laura Ashley An International Retail Brand. Management Decision, Volume 32 (3). Other  · Abdullah, S.A. Turning around Laura Ashley. http://adtimes.nstp.com.my/archive/mar3.htm (09 December 2000).  · Gibbs, G. (1999) Laura Ashley bids farewell The Guardian Unlimited Archive. http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3904775,00.html (18 December 2000).  · Teather, D. (1999) Banks push Laura Ashley to quit US The Guardian Unlimited Archive. http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3855892,00.html (18 December 2000).  · Vora, K. (1998) Lessons from Laura Ashley. The Motley Fool: The Daily Fool, Evening Fool Tuesday, 03 March 1998, (online) (cited 04 January 2001). http://www.fool.co.uk/DailyFool/1998/DailyFool980303.htm . BIBLIOGRAPHY Texts  · Cole, G.A. (1997). Strategic Management (2nd Edition). Continuum.  · De Wit, B. and Meyer, R. (1994) Strategy Process, Content, Context: An International Perspective. West Publishing.  · Hatch, M.J. (1997). Organization Theory. Oxford.  · Palmer, A. and Hartley, B. (1996). The Business and Marketing Environment (2nd Edition). McGraw-Hill.  · Palmer, A. (2000). Principles of Marketing. Oxford.  · Porter, M.E. (1980) Competitive Strategy Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competition. The Free Press.  · Porter, M.E. (1985) Competitive Advantage Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. The Free Press.  · Wild, R. (1994) How to Manage (2nd Edition). BCA. Other  · Framed-Art Wholesale. Laura Ashley The History http://www.framedartwholesale.com/aboutLA.htm (20 December 2000).  · Herzog, J. (1997) Laura Ashley closure a strategic decision. Daily Yale News Online Friday, 12 September 1997, (online) (cited 20 December 2000). http://www.yale.edu/ydn/paper/9.12.97/I-1lauraashley.html .  · Hoovers Online. Laura Ashley Holdings Plc Company Capsule Companies and Industries http://www.hoovers.co.uk/uk?capsule/5/0,3042,90245,00.html?referer= (20 December 2000).  · Wetfeet. Laura Ashley Holdings Plc Company Profiles. http://www.wetfeet.com/asp/companyprofiles.asp (18 December 2000).  · Wright Investors Service. Research Report: Laura Ashley Holdings Plc Corporate Information http://profiles.wisi.com/profiles/scripts/corpinfo2.asp?cusip=C826EG930 (18 December 2000).